FF : Bas Pyar Ho Gaya | Part 32 pg 153 updt 11.12. 2016 - Page 20

Chapter 9 :

Almost a month passed by, and both Ram and Priya continued with their routine life. None of them spoke about their marriage proposal to either Sudhirji or Krishnaji.

One fine day Ram had just returned from office, and as soon as he entered the living room Pihu came running towards him.. Papa... kal aap aa rahe hai na school mein ?

Ram looked surprisingly at Priya who was chatting with Krishnaji.

Priya could make out from Ram's face that he must have forgotten: Arey tujhe bataya tha na... Kal parent teacher meeting hai school mein...

Ram put his tongue under his teeth : Oh ho.. yes yes rockstar Papa zarur ayenge..

Papa.. teacher ne bola Mummy aur Papa ke sath aana hai... par mere paas toh mummy hi nahi hai...

Ram and Priya exchanged a quick look. Ram took Pihu in his lap and hugged her: Pihu .. aapke Priya aunty ayenge na humare sath. Wahi aapko roz school leke jaate hai na?

Pihu looked at Priya and asked innocently : Okay .. aunty kal ke liye meri mummy ban sakti hai na ?

An embarrassed Priya got up from her seat and took Pihu from Ram's lap

Pihu.. beta Papa abhi abhi office se aaye hai unhe thoda rest karne dete hai.. Priya tried to change the topic immediately...Tab tak hum aur aap upar jaake ek naya game khelte hai..

Pihu got excited and clung to Priya's neck with her little arms as both of them went upstairs. Ram gave an embarrassed look to Krishnaji and quickly scampered upstairs... he did not want to stay there and face Krishnaji even for a second... knowing very well that he had not yet been able to give any valid answer to the vital question that was asked about a month ago!

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Pihu was super excited to go to school, as both her aunty and Papa were coming with her. On reaching school, she started introducing them to all her friends and their parents; Ram and Priya could not help smiling seeing Pihu in such a lively and chirpy mood.

Papa .. yeh mera best friend hai... Shilpa... exclaimed Pihu, dragging her friend to introduce to her papa. Shilpa's father gave a warm smile to Ram and Priya and extended his hand: Hello.. Mr and Mrs Kapoor.. I am Ravindra Joshi.. Shilpa's father.

An embarrassed Priya put her eyes down while Ram said softly : Hello Mr Joshi .. glad to meet you. I am Ram Kapoor, Pihu's father , and she's Ms Priya Sharma , my business partner ...

Oh .. I am really sorry Mam... Mr Joshi apologized immediately... Actually main almost roz dekhta hoon aap Pihu ko chodne aati hai toh I thought ke...

Its okay Mr Joshi... Ram smiled..

Ram and Priya attended the sessions with other parents, and every second person mistook Priya as Mrs Kapoor and everytime Ram had to keep on giving the same explanation.

Finally the teacher called Ram and Priya for a one to one session. Priya felt a peculiar sense of tension as she was called inside the teacher's cabin... she grasped Pihu's palms tightly. The teacher welcomed them inside with a broad smile.

Mr Kapoor.. .. I must say that there has been a lot of positive changes in Pihu in the past 1 year..The teacher said warmly.. smiling at Ram... she really looks very happy and cheerful now a days. Her confidence also has increased, and her interaction with her classmates had also been very warm and friendly. Not only that , she had become extremely well organized, and her progress in extra curricular activities has also been very promising. She is always talking about you Ms Sharma .. the teacher smiled looking at Priya.. I guess its your love and companionship that has brought about these changes...

Priya nodded her head and tried to smile. A single drop of tear was trying to make its way out of Priya's eyes, and she tried with all her might to stop it from flowing, though Ram noticed it very clearly.

The only point of complain is that she has become quite talkative.. smiled the teacher.. but I would take that as a positive sign, considering the fact that she had become too reclusive after the demise of her mother! Thank you for coming... and I am sure Pihu will do very well in life. Both Ram and Priya smiled and thanked the teacher and took her leave.

On their way back to home, Ram and Priya hardly spoke while Pihu kept on engaging both of them with her childish banter.

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Ram was sitting alone in his favourite place... it was an unusually silent yet peaceful night. Two garden lamps were glowing dimly, and Ram was staring at the series of small decorative plants swaying in light breeze. Ram's thoughts were clouded with the happenings of the day, when suddenly he could hear the sound of the opening of the side gate of the Sharma house. It was none other than Priya...

Priya was also equally surprised to see Ram: Are tu idhar kya kar raha hai..

Aise hi .. man kiya toh aa gaya... Ram said softly.. Par tu kya kar rahi hai itni raat ko ?

Mujhe bhi neend nahi aa rahi thi.. toh socha yahan a jao..Priya replied..

Ram smiled and signalled her to sit. Priya came and sat beside him. None of them talked for sometime... there was a strange silence... somehow!

Finally Ram broke the silence : Aaj Pihu ke teacher se baat karte waqt itna tension mein kyun thi? And why were you crying yaar...

Arey I was not crying .. woh toh bas.. Priya fumbled...

Jhoot mat bol.. maine dekha..Ram insisted...

Chod na Ram.. tu nahi samjhega...Priya sighed..

Ram did not feel like arguing with her more... he knew how much attached Priya was to Pihu. The uncanny silence reigned the whole atmosphere again..

Ram gave a sly look towards Priya ..as if to judge her state of mind, and asked softly : Priya.. ek baat puchu ?

Priya looked at him : Kya ?

Woh aaj Pihu ke school mein Mr Joshi.. aur baki logon ne jo bhi bola.. tujhe bura laga na ? Ram asked in a low voice..

Priya gave a faint smile: Is mein bura lagne ki kya hai ... unko to pata nahi tha. Waise bhi office mein yeh baat sun sun ke aadat ho gayi hai..

Tune suna office main ? Ram asked..

Phir kya... Kyun tune nahi suna ? Priya enquired back..

Haan... Ram smiled.. Pata hai Guptaji ne toh ek bar directly hi bol diya .. ke Ram sir aap aur madam ek sath bade acche lagte hain...

Pata nahi kya ho gaya hai sabko... Priya nodded her head.. Hum dono toh bachpan se hi aise hi hai ... toh phir aaj sabko achanak kyun yeh sab lagta hai...

Priya... actually mujhe isi barein mein tujhse kuch baat karna tha.. Ram uttered softly ...Agar tujhe bura lage toh mujhe bata dena tabhi ke tabhi..

Aisa kyun bol raha hai? Kya baat karni hai ? Priya asked anxiously..

Priya... Ram paused... Dekh.. maine kafi socha .. Ma aur Uncle ... humare bhala hi chahte hai. Koi bhi parents yeh nahi chahenge ke unke bachche akele rahe zindagi main..

I know Ram... par jo solution woh log bol rahe hai woh kaise ho sakta hai..

Kyun nahi ho sakta ..Ram asserted.. looking straight into her eyes..

Priya looked at Ram in utter surpise : Yeh kaisi baatein kar raha hai tu ? Have you lost it or what! Tere sath main...

Look Priya.. pehle poori baat toh sun... Ram intervened..

Ram.. you have gone mad! Shaadi mazak hai kya ..Tu mujhse is tarah ki baatein kar bhi kaise sakta hai... An irritated Priya got up and headed straight towards the back gate of the Sharma house... ..

Arey sun toh please... Ram held her hand and tried to persuade her ... do minute baith ja... Mujhe baat karne ka mauka toh de ..

Kya mauka doon.. Priya lashed out... Tujhe bhi yeh sab logon ki tarah lagta hai ke hum dono ke beech mein kuch hain?

Priya please calm down first... He pleaded and made her sit on the bench...

Dekh Priya... mujhe aisa bilkul nahi lagta! Main toh bas apne future ka soch raha hoon! Tujhe kya lagta hai Geeta ke baad main kisi aur ko accept kar paunga? Kabhi nahi! Aur mujhe maloom hai.. tu bhi zindagi main kisi ko trust nahi kar payegi. Par yeh zindagi bohot badi hai Priya. Hum dono pe Pihu, Ma aur uncle ka responsibility hai.. business ka responsibility hai.. aur ek dusre ka bhi responsibility hai. Toh waise bhi saari zindagi hum dono ko ek dusre ki support ki zarurat hai ... toh kyun na hum dono hi shaadi kar le! As friends zindagi bhar is tarah aise ek saath rehna bohot mushkil hai Priya... as husband wife wahi cheez bohot asan ho jati hai...

Ram ...yeh responsibility.. support waghera sab thik hai par shaadi ka matlab sirf yahi toh nahi hota hai na? Ab kaise bolu tujhe... Priya fumbled.. Maine kabhi bhi tere bare mein us tarah se nahi socha ... I mean I cant... Priya closed her eyes unable to speak more...

Arey I know Priya.. Ram said in an assuring voice...I understand...even I have never thought about the physical aspect yaar... I swear!

Phir.. Priya gazed at him.. phir shadi ki baat kyun kiya tune?

Kyun ki yeh shadi humare terms pe hogi Priya ... aur shadi ke baad humare equations bhi hum apne hisab se define karenge!

Matlab... Priya asked in a confused tone ...

Matlab..hum ab jaise dost hai.. shaadi ke baad bhi waise hi dost rahenge. Kuch nahi badlega... trust me... Ram declared confidently... Bas duniya ke nazar mein hum dono pati patni rahenge.. Aur dekh waise bhi yeh baat toh sahi hai na ke hum dono ko ek dusre se zyada achcha koi nahi janta .. apna understanding humesha rahegi. Hum shaadi ke baad bhi sirf acche dost banke rahenge...

Ram this is impossible! Filmon mein hota hai yeh.. real life mein aisa nahi chalta...Priya objected..

Kyun nahi chalta Priya... if we decide to do it then we can surely do it that way...Ram claimed..

Yeh to sarasar cheating hai Ram... Priya argued... Baki logon ko chod.. hum Aunty aur Papa se jhoot kaise bolenge ? Unki alag expectation rahegi yaar is shaadi se...

Arey unse jhoot nahi bolenge.. sab sach batayenge yaar! Ram explained... Humari intention galat nahi hai... bas yeh hai ke humari relation exceptional hai Priya... and society does not make rules for exceptions! Hum dost ki tarah zindagi bhar rehna chahte hai...but society will never accommodate that relationship! Toh unhe bol denge ke hum shaadi karne ke liye taiyyar hai ... par rahenge hum dost hi... humesha. Is tarah hum dono humesha ek dusre ke sath rahenge... peacefully... without any controversy...

Ram... Main bhi tujhe zindagi bhar support karna chahti hoon.. aur Pihu ko duniya ki saari khushiya dena chahti hoon humesha ... Par yeh shaadi...mujhe kuch bhi samajh nahi aa raha... Priya tried to voice out her confusion..

Kya samajh nahi aa raha Priya.. just weigh out the options...Ram continued...either we stay the way we are right now , aur dus logon ko ulta seedha bolne ka mauka de! Or else hum alag ho jaaye ... separate life jiye jaise pichle 12 yrs se chal raha tha...ya toh phir kisi anjaan insaan se shaadi kar le !!! Don't you think marrying each other is a better option than all these three? And why that physical relationship factor is bothering you? You don't trust me or what ?

Nahi Ram aisa nahi hai .. I trust you more than myself but.. pata nahi...somehow I am not being able to accept this proposal... Main jitna soch rahi hoon utna hi ulajhti ja rahi hoon...Priya rested her head on her palms..

Dekh Priya...I am not trying to force you into a decision.. take your time .. think about it! Tera jo bhi faisla hoga I am okay with that. He placed his hands softly on her shoulders.. Chal ab andar ja.. its too late now! Bad mein baat karte hai..

Priya somehow pulled herself up and went inside the Sharma house. Ram too slowly got up and headed towards the back door of the Kapoor's.